


Facing the past to choose the future

by Xenia



Series: Finding my way back to you [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Memories, Near Death Experiences, Open Ending, maybe slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8498011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenia/pseuds/Xenia
Summary: Fighting for her life after 4x18 Laurel has a vision of Tommy and relives her past.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this series. I thought that last one was going to be the last installment. But even if I left the show Oliver and Laurel won't leave me alone. So this was written. And this time I can promise you that there will be a sequel. But I'm very busy with school so it might take a long while.   
> Now me being me I couldn't leave Tommy out of an Arrow story, I hope this is a believable way to include him.

Laurel opened her eyes to a cloudless blue sky. She was lying on the grass in a park and she hadn’t the slightest idea how she got there. The last thing she remember was talking to Oliver in a hospital, his terrified expression and the deafening beeping of the heart monitor. She carefully sat up and looked around her. And then she saw him. Tommy was leaning against a tree a few meters away from her.   
At first she felt happiness. She had missed him so much in the last four years that seeing him in front of her now was amazing. Then a terrifying thought crossed her minds. If she was with him, and he was dead, then…   
\- Am I dead? – she asked walking to him.   
He quirked his brow and smiled.   
\- No. Not yet. You’re one of the few lucky people who get to have a say in the matter. – he said – And I’m here to help you make a decision. It’s good to see you by the way. You look beautiful. –  
Laurel cocked her head and looked closely at him. Trying to understand if he was telling the truth. Apparently satisfied by what she saw, she smiled.   
\- It’s good to see you too. – she said hugging him. – I missed you. Oliver missed you too.-   
Tommy hugged her tightly against him.   
\- I missed you guys too. – he said breathing in her scent. – But we are on the clock. –   
Laurel just looked at him.   
\- What are we supposed to do? How are you supposed to help me? – she asked.   
\- The best way to decide your future is by reliving your past. – he said and suddenly they found themselves standing in the corridor of their high school. 

 

Laurel watched a younger version of herself walking down that corridor with the principal at her side. It was her first day of school. She had just moved there from Central City and she really wasn’t happy. Suddenly the door of one of the classes shot open and Oliver and Tommy walked out.   
\- Queen! Merlyn! What where are you going? You should stay in class. –   
The two boys grinned.   
\- Actually we’ve been sent to you. –   
\- And what did you do this time? –   
They shrugged. The principal rolled her eyes.   
\- Go in my office. I’ll deal with you later. –  
They grinned again and run off. Laurel watched them go.   
“ Troublemakers” she thought deciding that it was best for her to stay away from them. 

 

Days later she saw them again. She was pinned against her locker. A tall boy was in front of her and was dangling her books in front of her, keeping them to high for them to reach them.   
It wasn’t the first time something like that happened to her. She was the new girl and it was all too easy to be mean with new students. She was sure she was going to be late for class, again, when a voice came from behind the boy.  
\- Give her books back and go away –   
He turned around and she caught a glimpse of them. The troublemakers.  
\- And why should I do that? –   
\- Cause I say so. –   
The boy just shrugged and went back to keeping her books out her reach.   
Suddenly he wasn’t in front or her anymore. He was hauled away and her books fell to the ground.   
There was a fistfight in front of her. The two boys from the first day were definitely winning. The bell rang and the crowd quickly disappeared. In the corridors remained only her, the two troublemakers and the bully. He run away glaring at them.   
\- Oliver Queen and this is my friend Tommy Merlyn- Oliver said smiling and extending his hand.   
\- Laurel – she said smiling back – Thank you. –  
-You’re welcome. – Tommy said . 

 

Laurel was at the library, studying. Oliver was there too and for some miracle he wasn’t talking or trying to distract her. He was just sitting there quiet, looking at her.   
\- Laurel. – he said softly to catch her attention.  
Laurel looked up from her books, annoyed. Here we go. He always did it. He started talking and talking and talking and in the end she would get tired and follow him and Tommy in whatever crazy adventure they had planned for the day.   
\- What? I’m trying to study here. –  
\- Yeah. Sorry. I know. – he said.   
Laurel frowned. Oliver never apologized when he tried to drag her away from her books. She looked at him and she noticed that he seemed really nervous.   
\- What is it, Ollie? You know you can tell me everything. – she said.   
\- I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me sometimes? – he asked.   
Laurel frown deepened. She couldn’t believe he was asking her out. She knew she wasn’t his type. She studied too much and partied too little. That’s why she had always tried to ignore her own feelings for him. She knew he couldn’t feel the same way and she was happy being just his friend.   
\- What? – she asked.   
He bit his lip.   
\- Would you like to go on a date with me? – Oliver repeated. – Look I know. We’re friends. And if we start date we can ruin our friendship. And Tommy might feel left out. But… -   
\- Ollie… - she cut him off. - I would love to go on a date with you. –   
Oliver smiled happily and Laurel felt butterflies in her stomach.   
She had no idea why Oliver had decided to ask her out, she had no idea if they could work. But for some things it was worth taking a risk. 

 

They’ve being dating for a while and everything seemed to go well. Her father never liked Oliver, he always said that Tommy and him only caused trouble. He had tried multiple times to convince her to stop hanging out with them. So when he had found out that they were dating he’d lost his mind. He’d grounded her trying to keep her away from him. It had been her mother to finally convince him that it wouldn’t work anyway cause they saw each other every day in school. Every time she went out with him thought her father stood in the doorway glaring at Oliver, a hand on his gun in a not so subtle threat. Oliver’s parents on the other hand had been thrilled by the news. Particularly Moira. She had always liked Laurel, since the first time Oliver brought her home. She was quiet, sweet and smart and had a good influence on Oliver. She hoped they would last and she liked to tell Laurel over and over again how happy she was about their dating.   
Now they were sprawled on Oliver’s ridiculously big couch watching a romantic movie.  
She was completely focused on the movie when Oliver called her softly.   
\- Laurel? –   
She looked up to see what he wanted and he leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was soft and gentle and tasted of popcorn and ice cream. Her first kiss. Their first kiss. It was perfect and she would never forget it.   
When they parted he leaned his forehead against her and they both smiled. Then she cuddled closer to him and they kept watching the movie. 

 

It was prom night. Laurel was wearing a beautiful green dress and Oliver a black suit. They were standing in front of the fireplace in her house. Her mother was taking pictures of them, her father was glaring at Oliver.   
Oliver had stopped noticing Quentin’s glares a while back, but Laurel kept being embarrassed by her father’s behavior. They’ve been dating for almost two years now and she really wished her father would accept that Oliver wasn’t going away anytime soon.   
\- You should go now, dear. – her mother said.   
They were at the prom, dancing together. Suddenly she looked up at Oliver. She took in his bright eyes, his big smile. She’d known that for a while, but now was the time to tell him.   
\- I think I love you. – she said.   
Oliver froze, looking at her with wide eyes. She blushed.   
\- It’s not… you don’t have to… - she stuttered.   
Oliver smiled and leaned to kiss her, shutting her up.   
\- I think I love you too. - he said and then kissed her again.   
Laurel smiled and hid her face in his chest. They kept dancing for the whole night. 

 

Laurel was in the kitchen with her father. The TV was on but she wasn’t paying attention to it. Not until a picture of Oliver and his father came on screen. A shipwreck. Oliver and his father died. Oliver was dead. Not long ago they were planning of moving in together and now he was dead. She felt like someone had ripped her heart out her chest. The plate she was holding slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground shattering in million of pieces. She watched the glass on the floor. It looked like they were pieces of her world. Oliver’s death had destroyed her life, her dreams and her future. She had never felt like that in her life. She didn’t think she could survive that terrible pain. She collapsed into her father arms and cried.

 

Laurel was at Oliver’s funeral. Sara’s had been the day before.   
Standing there in front of their coffins Laurel didn’t know if she felt more anger or pain. She had lost her sister and the love of her life. The two people she trusted more in her life. And they had betrayed her in the worst possible way.   
She couldn’t reconcile the pain she felt for their death with the anger.   
Sometimes she chocked on the pain. And she cried over her broken dreams, her betrayed love and her little sister.   
Other times the anger overwhelmed her. And she screamed and screamed and screamed.   
And then she cried again. Cause they were gone and she loved them despite what they had done. She loved them and she missed them and she was so angry with them.   
Now standing in front of Oliver’s coffin she felt empty. 

 

And then Oliver was standing right in front her. Alive. And she really wanted to be mad at him. But she couldn’t. She still loved him. She would always love him.   
And then they were standing in his bedroom. His shirt was open and she was looking at his scars. She kissed him cause she still loved him and she needed to make sure that he was really there, alive. Then she fled. She loved him, but she couldn’t let him hurt her again.   
Then Tommy was breaking up with her. Because she still loved Oliver. He was right and she hated herself for that. She hated herself for hurting him. Cause she loved Tommy, but she loved Oliver more.   
Tommy died. And she needed Oliver. She needed him to go through the pain and the guilt that threatened to choke her. But Oliver disappeared. He left her alone again.   
And she spiraled in alcohol and drugs cause she didn’t know how else to cope.   
The words Oliver yelled at her in the hallway after the dinner with Sara hurt her more than everything else in her life. But they had given her the strength to take care of herself and stop drinking.   
Then she found out that Oliver was the Arrow. She was so proud of him. She always knew that he was so much more than a rich playboy. He was a hero.  
And then Oliver had fallen in love with Felicity and he had been horrible with Laurel for a year. He didn’t trust her to fight for her city, like he did. He refused to train her.  
But this last year everything had changed. They fought together and respected her and they were back at being friends. Friends like they were in high school, before they started dating.

 

Then the flood of memories stopped. And the only thing she could see was Oliver’s terrified expression under the fake lights of her hospital room, the only thing she could hear was the horrible high pitched and monotone sound of her heart monitor.   
She glanced at Tommy and he smiled encouragingly. Then everything became so bright and white and then everything was dark and Laurel didn't know where she was anymore


End file.
